pills in hand
I got a migraine last night—I don’t know how. I didn’t miss any of my doses of my preventive medicine, and there’s not a storm coming that I know of. But before the pain med kicked in I was literally in tears. The medicine will dull the throbbing but it will still last two or three days, and can make me sleepy. It’s difficult to think.
We in America tend to have a unique view of pain, whether emotional or physical. We want it gone, and we want it gone now. We don’t like it; we don’t deserve it. We are above it. We tend to believe all suffering is automatically bad and must be stopped. This is a distinctly American view, and a relatively recent one as well. Our forefathers didn’t think life came without pain or suffering, but somehow we’ve come to believe that. We don’t bother to see if there is a reason for it, if the pain is, in fact, a warning sign. Instead of checking to see if perhaps we should slow down, see a doctor, or even just learn to move differently, we often just pop some pills.
Pain relief has been around since at least ancient Egypt, when they used thyme and chamomile tea, through heroin and opium, right through the present with Vicodin and Oxycontin. I tried to see how many different kinds of pain relievers are available in the US. I found more than forty, and that doesn’t count the combinations, like Tylenol with codeine.
With so many of them floating around our homes, this has led to a number of related problems. Prescription drugs are abused more than than any other drugs besides marijuana. They are a major contributor to drug deaths. In 2007, nearly 28,000 Americans died from unintentional poisoning. The estimated number of ER visits linked to non-medical uses of prescription drugs almost doubled between 2004 and 2009. Our teenagers abuse prescription painkillers more than illegal drugs. And even in adults over 50, they cause problems. In 2009, about two million adults over 50 used prescription drugs non-medically, and substance abuse treatment admissions for adults over 50 doubled from ’92 to 2008.
Let me be clear. Sometimes there is no other option than to take painkillers. I’ve been to many doctors, and we can’t find any reason for my migraines. I take a pill every day to stop them, and when it doesn’t work, I take another to dull the pain. I’m only saying—reminding myself here as well, that we should take a look first to see if the pain is a messenger. We must take care of the only body God has given us. And often that is not with a pill or capsule or tablet. Sometime a walk around the block or a quick nap will do just as well.
And then I also remind myself of this:
Comments 2
So sorry to be ar you suffer from migraines! I occasionally have sinus headaches which can transition into migraines, but nothing like what you are describing. My mother also suffered from migraines for many years, and like you, hers would last three days. Interestingly , after having several cardioversions to correct her atrial fibrillation arrhythmia, she stopped having migraines. Now they are lurking again as her atrial fibrillation is back and she cannot have the procedure done again (guess there is a limit to how many times they can do it.)
Prayers for you in your journey through the wilderness of pain.
I’m so sorry your mom is suffering again. I don’t have them often, but when I do they are awful! I hope they don’t start to bother her too often.
Thanks for your prayers. I will include her in mine